is that not something? boy, oh boy. a lot of pasta overcooked with

this lightning strike. can you believe it at st. peter's? boy, another apt image. >> cardinal dolan will be among those choosing the next pope. here's something interesting. the cardinals are cut off from the entire world when they're choosing the pope. no television, no phones or computers. and if no pope is chosen, the ballots are burn with a specific chemical that burns black smoke. so we've have to look for the white smoke once the conclave is started. >> everyone gathers right there waiting for the pope to come out. it's a big moment. two things struck me. you have to wonder in terms of

geography and world demographics and with the surging hispanic catholic population, which way does the church go at this point? does someone younger to reach out to the younger generations or someone more liberal to main stream catholics a little more. but that latter maseems less likely. >> he did say the way the church conducts the new business is not to change with the new pope. what we believe in, and our general basis, which is no women and no gays and no divorce, that stays. those are the teachings of the church. that's what he said. >> it should be interesting. nothing is immune from politics. imagine what the conversations are like in that meeting for all those days. so stay tuned for that story. we'll keep an eye on that in the coming weeks. shifting gears now, the most wanted man in america,

christopher dorner is now charged with murder. >> the charge against dorner stems from the shooting death of a police officer last thursday. dorner could face the death penalty if he's convicted. last night, a hotel in tijuana, mexico was searched but no evidence of dorner was found. police are following up on more than 700 tips that have come in since a $1 million reward was offered. are now charged with the murder of a chicago honors student. police say one of the suspects has confessed to firing into a crowd that killed hadiya pendleton. they say that she apparently -- rather he apparently mistook the group of students for members of a rival gang. hadiya's killing has become a national symbol of gun violence. her parents will sit with michelle obama at tonight's state of the union. >> that's certainly a nice gesture. you have to wonder how heavily the president will hit on that

tonight. they said unlike the inaugural speech, this will be an address much more focused on the economy than some of the other issues. >> and just going back to that for one second. the two people charged, 18 and 20 years old. very young men. >> babies killing babies. in other news, heavy rain is slowing down the cleanup effort after that powerful tornado tore through the state of mississippi. the twister barreled through three counties for 75 miles, damaging or destroying near lly 600 homes. he was an e-4 and more than 80 people were hurt but amazingly no one was killed. >> so your dad's ashes -- >> they were in the front living room. >> did he die recently? >> yes, sir, about two months ago. >> maybe he was watching over

you guys. >> he had to be. i know somebody was. >> officials say it could have been a lot worse, but see remembers gave residents a 30-minute warning. many businesses were closed because it was sunday and the university of southern mississippi was emptier than usual because of mardi gras. here's a look now at your tuesday forecast. hopefully a calmer one. rain in the south could cause trash flooding from new orleans to atlanta, putting a damper on fat tuesday festivities. light snow in upstate new york and northern new england. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. >> fifts from seattle to portland. 30s in the midwest. 40s in the northeast. and 73 in new orleans. coming up next, how two little tiny pieces of material can make one magazine such a profit. inside the pages of the "sports

illustrated" swimsuit edition coming up next. but first, a soldier is given the nation's highest award for his bravery on the battlefield. but it's his little boy who steals the show. you're watching "world news now."

have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there.

like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

all right, welcome back, everybody. this is a great story here. abarmy sergeant honored at the white house for his courage and his leadership in afghanistan. >> and for good reason. this is our favorite story of the day. it was an emotional ceremony for a true hero. abc's jonathan karl was there.

>> reporter: for clint romesha, a high honor and heavy burden, leader of a band of heroes through one of the most intense battles of the entire war in afghanistan. >> clint, this is our nation's highest military decoration. it reflects the gratitude of our entire country. >> reporter: this video was shot by the taliban on the day that army staff sergeant romesha helped repel their attack. more than 300 enemy fighters against his unit of 53 men, defending an outpost the president called tactically indensible. >> these and outgunned. >> reporter: he's recredited with retaking the outpost. but more than 20, including romesha, were injured and eight were killed. their families were here and he spoke to us about them. no doubt that your fallen comrades are going to be in that

room with you. >> they'll be there, i just know it. >> reporter: he told us the medal belongs to them, too. a somber occasion to be sure, although his 18-month-old son colin nearly stole the show before it started. you're out of the military. what are your dreams and aspirations and hopes now? >> to be that dad and father, that husband. they've really missed out on the 11 years i was in, and to watch them grow up and be successful. >> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> a well-deserved honor there. in the same battle, eight soldiers did not make it out. 22 were wounded. he was representing all of them and they were all in that room yesterday. >> and it was wrfl to see the juxtaposition between the dad crying and the little boy having a wonderful time playing peekaboo behind the podium. >> he'll appreciate that when he gets older. we'll be right back, everybody.

♪ welcome back, everybody. obviously we have some very serious news we're about to bring you right now in this segment. one of the celebrations i missed the most about living in new orleans is mardi gras, especially the good food, the drinks. tim laird, america's chief entertainer is here to show us how you can enjoy the flavors of mardi gras wherever you may be. >> we're bringing mardi gras to you. >> after ten years in new orleans, i miss everything on here. >> let's start out with the traditional dessert, bananas foster. >> it's good for your heart. >> a half stick of butter goes

in, then a whole cup of brown sugar. and then a couple of shakes of cinnamon goes in to give it some flavor. >> as much entertaining as you do, new orleans is one of the great party and food cities on the planet. >> they do it right. it is the best city for that. while this is cooking down, let's make a hurricane. >> i like that idea. >> here is a picture of hurricanes. about eight ounces of orange juice, eight ounces of pineapple juice, eight ounces of lemonade, and a little southern comfort. this is the bold, black cherry. >> that's a new flavor for me. >> eight ounces of that goes in. >> this is one of new orleans' signature drinks. >> and then i drizzle a little bit of grenadine in there. we always party responsibly, so i make an alcohol free version.

so here's yours. >> test it out. >> here it is. >> carnival time does make one thirsty. [ speaking foreign language ] . >> let the good times roll. i miss it. >> once our sugar and butter kind of melted and everything else is in there, a little banana liquor. >> don't be stingy. >> the butter, the banana. >> it is the best dessert ever made. >> i love it. and about four bananas sliced up. that's going to cook up. and we have to cook it up with a little southern comfort. >> don't be stingy. that's going to cook off and we'll have all that flavor in there. that's all there is to it. about two minutes, this will come into a nice heavy syrup. and pour it over ice cream or a little pound cake, a little whip

cream on top. i even kick it up with a little chocolate on there. >> you are truly decadent which is the spirit of carnival. >> here's an easy recipe for at home. basically i cheat, i buy the biscuits already done. roll them out, put a couple three chocolate chips in there, fold it over. give it a little crimp and that goes into the oven, 350, eight to ten minutes and you've got your own beignets at home. along with your chicory coffee. >> what i love about all this, you've taken some new orleans staples and put your own spin on it, which i love. this is the night we fell in love. happy mardi gras. do it right, new orleans. do it right. thanks again to tim. you'll find his recipes on our

facebook page. happy mardi gras, everybody. we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this. >> back to the hurricanes. have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com.

there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. let's get a recap, merv. [ merv ] thanks, other merv. mr. clean magic eraser extra power was three times faster on permanent marker. elsewhere against dirt,

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♪ my kind of music. >> all right. yeah, buddy. kate upton has graced the cover of "sports illustrated" for a second time. but what does this mean for the bikini business's bottom line? >> we take a look inside the big business of little swimsuits.

>> reporter: it's the cover you can't stop staring at. model kate upton, sailing in the chilly antarctic water. it's no shock that upton is on the cover for the second straight year. he's the first to accomplish that feat since tyra banks did it more than 15 years ago. for years, the si swimsuit issue has stood out in the modeling arena for two reasons. they're willing to give them names. you know them all. after "sports illustrated" fit her into the 2011 issue at the last minute, she became an internet sensation. first, this dougy dance at a clipper's game. millions of youtube hits later, this mac daddy video. ♪

corporate america even got into the act. carl's junior used her. mercedes-benz used her to promote its new sedan meant to appeal to the younger crowd. >> you missed a spot. >> reporter: 7% of "sports illustrated"'s revenue is from the swimsuit issue and the magazine is looking to make it more profitable. it's hard to deny upton's digits. we're not talking about measurements. google searches for upton has risen 2,000% since january of last year. "sports illustrated" made her a star, but her curves fighting the industry mold have made her advertising gold. a business model that keeps on giving. i'm darren rovell in new york. >> meat on them bones. >> the lord does wonderful work. >> she's a very pretty girl. >> lord.

this morning on "world news now," north korea fires a warning shot to the world. >> the nation confirms it has conducted another nuclear test. this time launching a miniature nuclear device with even more power than before. it's tuesday, february 12th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. the white house is already calling the launch "highly provocative." we're going to go live to tokyo in a second for the latest on this story. but before all of that, some other stories we're following for you on this fat tuesday morning. a day after the pope surprises the world and announces his resignation, the world now

wondering what or who could be next. also coming up, new fears in the manhunt for a suspected killer. investigators are now concerned he may have crossed the border. also, if you grew up in the '80s, well, luke, laura and scotty were -- now these iconic characters of "general hospital" are reuniting. we'll hear what they expect to come from the big event. first, we want to get to breaking news. north korea makes good on its promise, conducting a third nuclear test, despite warnings from the international community. >> president obama issued a statement vowing to continue taking necessary steps to "defend ourselves and our allies." >> abc's akiko fujita joins us from japan with the latest on this morning's test and how close north korea may be to reaching its nuclear goal.

good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, diana. strong words from the white house this morning, say thing is a highly provocative act that undermines regional security. this is north korea's first nuclear test under new leader kim jung-un and if pyongyang's claims are true, it means they are a step closer to their stated goal of building a nuclear warhead small enough to be mounted on a missile aimed directly at the u.s. north korea confirmed the test in a statement released by state media saying it was carried out to "defend the country's security and sovereignty in the face of a ferocious, hostile act by the u.s." it means that north korea is closer to building a warhead small enough to be mounted on a long-range missile that is capable of reaching the u.s. the test today comes just two

months after pyongyang conducted a successful long-range missile test in direct definls of u.n. security council resolutions, and the key question now is, did north korea use plutonium as they did in previous tests or highly enriched uranium? if north korea was stul in building a bomb using enrich rue yanium, it would speed up their ability to build a warhead. >> the president said it undermines the region's stability and a threat to the u.s. national security and to international peace and security. and it doesn't make north korea any more secure, which is what it's hoping for. >> they are a provocative country. get the world's attention and flex their military muscle and the irony within the country is all this

money that went into the development of this weapon when they have starving people. so maybe this has to do with the president's state of the union address tonight. he may have to tweak the speech a little bit. two, the birthday of kim jong-il is february 16 and the chinese new year was february 10. so there could be some other dates as to why this morning was their moment. so we'll see how it plays out. eyes of the world on that very isolated and potentially dangerous country. now to the other major story. a leadership change for the catholic church. pope benedict will step down at the end of the month. >> catholics are waiting to see who will be chosing to replace him. abc's nick schifrin is joining us from vatican city. >> reporter: pope benedict is a shy leader but a reminder of the man who they used to call god's

rottweiller. unpredictable, unprecedented. at 85, he's silver haired and cerebral and says he can't keep up. he said he's become so infirmed, i've had to recognize my incapacity to fulfill the ministry enstrupsed to me. in the last year, he grew increasingly frail. >> he's certainly slowed down a bet. you can tell he has trouble negotiating steps. he started using the cane several months ago. >> reporter: but the german pope never slowed down, putting the church on an orthodox path. he opposed homosexuality and female priests. he tried to heal wounds, apologizing to victims of sexual abuse. but his church shielded accused priests and hid crimes from authorities. >> they've got to come to terms with the priest scandal. they have to be more candid and honest about it. >> reporter: benedict filled stadiums but he was always a

bookworm, more comfortable writing. many are now calling for a more dynamic pope. and thanks to the first papal retirement in six centuries, cardinals might be willing to choose a younger successor. >> the cardinals are going to have to weigh experience and the need for a certain level of energy. >> reporter: what looked like a divine sign, lightning hitting st. paul's cathedral. benedict won't choose the successor, but the hand picked cardinals will. rob, diana? a showdown in the senate today over chuck hagel's nomination as the defense secretary. democrats are going to force a vote on the nomination, rejecting demands for more information on hagel's finances. hague that carnival cruise ship that's standed in the gulf of

mexico is being pulled to mobile, alabama instead of mexico. it's been dead in the water since sunday when a fire knocked out its engines. it's scheduled to arrive in the u.s. on thursday. there are more than 4200 people on that ship. passengers and loved ones stay it's not a good scene on board. >> there's no lights. no water. we can't flush. some people were able to shower. no one was injured. most of us are camping out on the top deck. >> they're all crying and hisser the call. they want to go home. >> abc news learned this is the third trip in which the "triumph" has suffered propulsion problems. the ship's next two voyages are been canceled and passengers will receive a full refund. >> interesting note here. apparently it's been towed to alabama to save the company millions and millions of dollars. and at this point, it's like they just don't care about the

poor vacationers. they are offering them all reimbersment, though, and money if you want to go on another cruise ship. >> you always hear about that offer. i wonder how many people say i'm going to come back on this ship in the summer. at this point, you may be soured on the experience. >> no, thank you. >> give me my money. >> let me just go. >> let me just get out this buffet room and move on. good luck to those folks, there. now to this story. three people are dead after shooting inside of a delaware court house. a man shot and killed two women yesterday near a metal detector in the county courthouse in wilmington. he also wounded two police officers before he was fatally shot. a juror entering the building said the shooter seemed to deliberately target the two women. >> i stau the guy come through the door and point blank shoot two women and then in fact, i

didn't realize it was gunfire at first. then when i saw a cop hit the floor, then i hit the floor and everybody else was going down at that point. that was maybe 50, 60 people in the lobby. >> one victim was the gunman's estranged wife. authorities say he had spent years in court embroied in a child custody dispute. details of the consequences of having a faulty credit report. 40 million americans, 1 in 5 of us, have a mistake on our credit report. and 4 million of us, those mistakes are so bad, they're suffering with lower credit scores. experts suggest checking your credit report at least once year. >> that's scary scuff. here's a look now at your

tuesday weather. your fat tuesday weather. rain from seattle to portland. up to 5 inches of snow in the cascades and northern rockies. snowing around oklahoma city, wichita and amarillo. also some flurries in western new york. 50s in atlanta and dallas. mostly 40s in the rockies. well in addition to today being mardi gras, it's also the dramatic climax to the westminister dog show. we'll learn which pampered show will be named best in show tonight. but they started handing out the big awards last night. >> they named the best of the hound nonsporting toy and herding groups last night. the top working sporting and terriers are named tonight before the show's top prize is awarded. and now i officially feel like i have gone to the dogs. >> oh, yeah. >> and i guarantee you, 85% of

news casts are watched in the country today that have something to do with the westminister show, you will hear the phrase, going to the dogs. >> count how many time you hear it. can i just say the dog are also adorable? >> some of them are very cute. >> we go too far and everybody loves their dogs and i love my dog, but we don't need spinach pizzas for our dogs. >> or the treadmill or the massage or the luxury trailer. >> but they are so cute. >> they are cute. the owners are a little -- but the dogs are hunt. coming up, the man hunt for a suspected killer goes international. >> we'll tell you where the hundreds of tips are leading investigators. you're watching "world news now." [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up in the middle of the night it can be frustrating.

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welcome back, everybody. an update nowen to the search for christopher dorner. he of course is the alleged cop killer in california who has been the subject of a man hunt now for nearly a week. >> police searched a hotel in tijuana, mexico last night, but

no evidence of dorner was found. abc's pierre thomas has more. >> reporter: christopher dorner was charged with murder. he now faces the death penalty if captured and convicted. the capital charges involve the murder of officer my criminal crane, gunned down in an ambush last thursday. he was married with two children, ages 10 and 4. >> every law enforcement officer in southern california is in danger of being shot or killed. >> reporter: and this warning to the public. >> don't think it's just about protecting cops. this man is a threat to every person in los angeles. >> reporter: a city in fear is fighting back, offering a $1 million reward for dorner's capture and conviction. police have received more than 700 tips, including one that led them to this lowe's sunday night. the shooting spree began about a week ago when monica kwan and her fiance were shot to death in a parking lot. an alleged execution by dorner, who was angry at her father.

>> to have your family targeted because they're related to you? that is absolutely terrifying. >> reporter: abc news learned that a man claiming for dorner has called kwan's father to taunt him, telling the grieving dad he should have done a better job protecting his daughter. police have vowed to catch dorner, but for now the city can only hope the shooting doesn't start again. pierre thomas, abc news, los angeles. >> here's the scary part of this story. there are still 50 police officers whose families are being guarded. and in the manifesto, a violent manifesto that dorner put out and he said he was going to war with the lapd. >> and they have to go out there and continue to do their job and in the back of their mind, is my family okay? so you can imagine the tug of war because they're fighting one of their own.

this guy knows the book they play by. he knows the tricks of the trade. now they're saying this hunt looks more like a marathon than a sprint. so this could go on a while. it takes a toll on everybody. >> and now we don't know where he is. we thought we had him in the big bear lake area, and now it looks like he might have gone to mexico. >> as of now. >> so international manhunt it becomes. coming up next, it's like the hotel california. you can check out but you can never leave. >> some famous actors from "general hospital" are back. you're watching "world news now.

"general hospital" is celebrating 50 years and some fan favorites are back to mark the milestone.

>> many viewers will recognize some of the most popular characters. here is the exciting news. >> oh, i'm sorry. >> mom! oh, my god. >> reporter: she's back. jeannie francis grew up on "general hospital." over the years, she's come and gone, but the impact she made as laura has always remained. >> i remember profoundly going to the 14th anniversary of the show as a 14-year-old girl. if this event had passed, the 50th anniversary of a show that gave me a wonderful life and i wasn't there to celebrate it, it would just feel so wrong, so awful. so i'm glad that's not how it went, because i'm here in the spirit of this event and with a very grateful heart. >> reporter: "general hospital" is thrilled to bring the past into the future. >> it feels like they've come home. at least for the next six to eight weeks you'll see a lot of the veterans and a lot more surprises coming up throughout

the months of february, march and through april. >> you know, i didn't know whether -- i didn't know what that would be like, but i've loved it. >> i like playing anna because of her strength and because i get to be, you know, a tough woman in a man's world. >> reporter: and in this soap world, before the pairing of luke and laura, "gh" had scotty and laura. >> i hope so. we have been -- i have been in love with her since i was a kid in "port charles." so this is a dream come true to hopefully win her back. >> laura, i want to make all your wishes come true for the rest of your life. >> were you a big soap opera fan? >> i went my entire life until i was 31 years old without ever

watching a day of a soap opera. now i'm the biggest fan of "general hospital." >> diana has to get home to watch her stories. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital

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i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com.

there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. ♪ it's fat tuesday. all three staffers have come out for it. i don't know what they're doing in the back. no cake for you guys. it is fat tuesday in my beloved new orleans and we've got our hats, our mask, our beads. there will be no flashing, though. no flashing. i lived there for ten years, had a great time in new orleans. so it a es a big party. it lasts two weeks.

i've worn this matt on air every mardi gras day. we have some great pictures to show. some fun scenes there. that's what we called the early shot, everyone still in good condition. >> one guy looks cross eyed already. >> and then at pat o brian's. and then the parade going on, you have the secret balls that go on. i don't want people to think -- that's the zulu parade. they call it the greatest free show on earth and it really is. those bead also get you far in new orleans these days. and i know people think it's about drupgenness and girls showing off their goodies, but there's a lot of family parades.

but any way -- >> this is actually really interesting. i did not know this. there are religious connotations to this. mardi gras means fat tuesday by the way. apparently it's the start of lent, ash wednesday. >> the day after mardi gras is ash wednesday. so that's why you party hard, to get everything out of your system. >> you put it in and you get it out. >> so yeah. also the first mardi gras parade took place in 1837. how much time we got? 15 seconds. this is another great tradition. get a nice shot of that, willis. >> purple justice, gold power,

this morning on this morning on "world news now," breaking news. a defiant north korea launches another nuclear test. >> this bomb had more power than previous tests and could spark strong reaction from world leaders. it's tuesday, february 12th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." and good tuesday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. this is the third nuclear test and is a slap in the face to countries who have been trying to prevent north korea from becoming a nuclear power. we'll go live to tokyo in a moment, but first some of the other stories we're following this morning. other other top story. the future of the church after the pope's rare resignation. questions, reaction and a look at who might succeed him. >> this was something no one

expected. there were some clues to suggest maybe he was thinking about this for quite some time. but this kind of caught not only the world off guard and a billion plus catholics but even insiders in the vatican were caught find of flat footed. so eyes now on who could be next. maybe between now and easter we'll find out. the emotional interview with joe paterno's widow in the wake of a scathing report about the sandusky coverage. how the family is fighting to clear his name. >> that was quite an emotional interview she had. she was there specifically to do one thing. she was there to clear his name. and there was a lot of emotion during that interview. >> did you see the interview? >> i did. she was asked point plank, was there a coverup? she said absolutely not. interesting it took her this long. >> it has been a while. >> it's been a year. and the latest installment in the saga that is rihanna and chris brown. how she might be taking the

phrase "stand by your man" to a whole new level. unconfirmed reports out there, but could be an interesting development in that relationship. we'll get to that in "the skinny." but first important news and that is breaking news out of north korea. defiantly acknowledging that it has successfully conducted another nuclear test. >> just hours ago, seismic activity equivalent to a 4.9 magnitude earthquake was defected in north korea near the site of two previous atomic tests. pyongyang had been threatening to conduct the underground test for weeks saying the u.s. was its prime target. >> and for the latest on this, we turn now to abc's akiko fujita. she's live in tokyo for us this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, rob. pyongyang conducted two nuclear tests before, but this is the first test under new leader kim jung-un. pyongyang state media says they used a miniature device.

if true, it would mean that north korea is a step closer to its stated goal of creating a nuclear warhead small enough to be mounted on top of a long-range missile capable of reaching the u.s. south korea's defense ministry says the bomb detonated by north korea yielded an explosion that was 6 to 7 kilotons. that's a significant improvement over previous tests in 2006 and 2009. for some perspective, that's about 2/3 the size of the bomb dropped on hiroshima. news of this test immediately sent u.s. and south korea forces in the region on high alert. here in japan, the prime minister convened an emergency security meeting. the key question, how big was the bomb detonated and did they use plutonium. or highly enreiched you main rum? north koreans claim it was a lighter atomic bomb, meaning a

greater chance for this bomb to be weaponized. analysts say if north korea were successful in build thing bomb out of highly enriched uranium, it would speed up pyongyang's ability to extend its arsenal in a relatively short amount of time. rob and diana? >> akiko, you mentioned that the u.n. security council will hold an emergency meeting on all of this in the morning. so what exactly could they do? i assume it could be more sanctions? >> reporter: we could certainly expect more sanctions. here in japan, we've heard from the japanese prime minister who is considering their own sanctions. but it's important to keep in mind these sanctions have been placed on north korea before, but they've conducted now three nuclear tests in direct defiance of those sanctions. so the question now is just how effective are they? >> thank you so much from tokyo this morning. >> more provocation. hard to believe. see how the world reacts later.

the stunning news that came out yesterday that pope benedict is resigning at the end of the month. at age 85, the pope says he does not have the strength to carry out his duties any longer. >> the surprising decision has far-reaching imply faces for the millions of catholics around the world. abc's nick schifrin reports from vatican city. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, diana. pope benedict is a shy leader but a reminder of the man they used to call god's rottweiller. unpredicted, unprecedented and it might guarantee his legacy. at 85, he's silver haired and cerebral and says he simply can't keep up. pope benedict xvi told his cardinals he had become so infirm, i've had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. in the last year, benedict grew increasingly frail. >> he certainly slowed down a bit. you can tell he had trouble negotiating steps. he started using the cane

several months ago. >> reporter: but the german pope never slowed down. putting the church on an orthodox path. he opposed homosexuality and female priests. he tried to heal wounds, apologizing to victims of sexual abuse. but his church shielded accused priests and hid crimes from authorities. >> they've got to come to terms with the priest scandal. they have to be more candid and honest about it. >> reporter: he filled stadiums but he was always a bookworm, more comfortable writing. many are now calling for a more dynamic pope. thanks to the first papal retirement in six centuries, cardinals might be willing to choose a younger successor. >> the cardinals are going to have to weigh experience and the need for a certain level of energy. >> reporter: what looked like a divine sign, lightning hitting st. paul's cathedral. benedict won't choose his successor, but his hand-picked cardinals will.

they're expected to continue the conservative traditions of a man whose most important legacy as pope might have been his final act. rob, diana? >> abc's nick schifrin at the vatican for us this morning. like so many other american catholics, new york's cardinal timothy dolan said he was stunned by the resignation and looks to the future in a talk with abc's diane sawyer. >> the church is in the business of fundamental change internally. so when we speak about change in the church, yeah, there could be a change in style. there's certainly always going to be a change of heart because conversion of heart is what we're about. but there can't be a tampering with the changeless teachings of the church. >> dolan said he laughed when they first heard of pope benedict's resignation because they said they heard the same thing so many times before. >> of course, all of this has led to much speculation who might be the pontiff's successor. the top names being mentioned by experts are cardinal skoala, 71 years old and from italy.

he's being called the front-runner right now. canada's cardinal mark olette is next in line, 68 years old. and the former archbishop of quebec. 64-year-old cardinal peter turkson of ghana is also mentioned. and this is significant, since there's a growing catholic population in africa. argentina's cardinal and italy's cardinal angelo banoska is also on the possible list. in other news this morning, president obama is expected to highlight the battle against gun violence, immigration reform and increasing taxes in tonight's state of the union address. he'll speak before a sharply divided congress who has invited guests that include both ends of the spectrum. among them, ted nugent and a teacher who survived the sandy hook shooting rampage. the parents of chicago murder victim hadiya pendleton are going to sit with the first lady tonight during the president's speech. two suspected gang members have now been charged in the 15-year-old honor student's death. police say it was apparently a case of mistaken identity. one of the suspects told them

that a rival gang member was the intended target. now to another case of deadly gun violence. bullets flying at a court house in delaware. witnesses say a man shot and killed two women as they approached the metal detectors of the county courthouse in wilmington. he also wounded two cops before he himself was fatally shot. one victim was the shooter's estranged wife. he had been involved in an ongoing child custody dispute. a woman who looks like a regular old grandma is in a fair bit of trouble this morning. in some lighter news after all of that. >> oh, yeah. there she was in the atlanta courtroom in her prison jump suit, handcuffs. 79-year-old norma schifrin. she was busted last week. are you ready for this? trying to sell marijuana. >> inside her small home, police found nine pounds of weed, and some loot. in fact, $130,000 in straight cold hard cash. the money was being stored very

neatly in some old style lunchboxes. neighbors said with so many people visiting her house, they thought they were just there to take care of the elderly woman. but it seems she may have been taking care of them. >> right. p.s., she had hip replacements a couple of years ago. >> but the glaucoma is cleared up nicely, grandma. coming up next, pampered pets. it's only the best for the pups at the westminister dog show. we'll show you coming up what we mean. but first, the family of the late joe paterno comes out swinging after a scathing report about his role in the jerry sandusky sex scandal. up next, his widow's exclusive and very emotional interview with katie couric. you're watching "world news now." ♪

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for the first time since the sex abuse scandal broke at penn state, the widow of joe paterno is offering an emotional defense of her late husband. >> sue pa terpo says joe's legacy was unfairly tarnished. she made those remarks in an exclusive interview with abc's katie couric. with more now, here's abc's karen travers. >> reporter: good morning. the paterno family is coming out swinging. no surprise. the report that they commissioned said the legendary football coach did not cover up the sexual abuse allegations. a year after he passed away, joe paterno's family is fighting to clear his name. >> if he knew what he knew, if

he knew in 2001 what he then learned in 2011, yes, he would do more. anyone would. but we didn't have that benefit. >> reporter: paterno was fired during a late-night phone call after more than 45 years as the penn state head football coach. the university said he covered up the allegations of sexual abuse against his long-time assistant and former player jerry sandusky. in an exclusive interview with abc's katie couric, the wife of the legendary coach recalled her reaction when she heard the charges against sandusky. >> horror, disbelief. it's still hard to accept. >> reporter: penn state tapped former fbi director louie freeh to investigate who knew what and when about sandusky's dealings with young boys. his report said joe paterno covered the allegations against sandusky. but the paterno family came out swinging. >> much was overlooked. much was misrepresented in the

report. >> reporter: so they launched their own investigation and concluded there was no evidence the coach hid the allegations against sandusky or ordered a coverup. >> we didn't have that mindset that he was doing anything more than teaching them, working out with them, and getting a shower. he worked out with them in the weight room. it had nothing to do with suspecting he's a pedophile. >> reporter: freeh says he stands by his conclusion that powerful people at penn state including joe paterno, failed to protect children. rob and diana, back to you. >> both reports potentially have conflicts. do you believe the family, which obviously wants to protect the legacy of this legendary coach. or do you believe the fbi, which was maybe eager to find scapegoats because this went on for so long. >> you know, joe paterno hasn't been charged. joe paterno hasn't -- he's found guilty in a sense, but aside from his legacy being tarnished, they haven't gone after him or his family that was associated with him

specifically. >> it's the legacy, protecting that legacy. >> she did say even her own kids were allowed to be in the swimming pool with jerry sandusky. so if you allow your own kids, do you really believe -- she said do you really believe i thought he was a pedophile? >> powerful point, powerful point. coming up next, chris brown and rihanna engaged? we have that in "the skinny." >> stay tuned, everybody. tuned, everybody.

you know how ll was always licking his lips. you know what i mean? ♪ skinny, so skinny >> skinny in the house! >> do it again. >> there's a thing that came up a few months ago, making fun of l.l., because he's always licking his lips and he said the same thing again at the grammys on sunday night. so many thanks to the good folks over at jimmy kimmel, because they had this funny setup when they were comparing more, ll licking his lips more or using the word "amazing" during "the bachelor." so take a look at this. >> for that song. and our show had to change.

thank you. >> he's still going. >> thank you so much. >> that wasn't even the whole show. >> that was like the first segment. thank you, jimmy kimmel, for laying that all out. i've been saying that for months. that ll just be licking way too much. it's ridiculous. everybody has went around him. calm down. thank you for somebody showing what i said a few months ago. that was funny stuff. >> that was great. that was wonderful. this is actually some serious -- oh, come on! i don't even have any tissue to give you. >> it's ridiculous. you keep going.

>> this is some sad news if it's true. we don't know for sure, but apparently rihanna showed up to the grammys wearing what looked like an engagement ring on her finger. she was cozying up to chris brown. rectangular shaped, beautiful diamond ring with a lot of small diamonds around it. here's the problem. as we all remember back in 2009, chris brown was accused of and convicted of beating her, if we remember. she's beautiful and very talented, but i feel like misguided is a good word. >> my thing is, i've made this point before. their relationship is their business, but if something bad happens again, very little sympathy will be found. that's all i'm saying. so proceed with caution. justin bieber was snubbed this year at the grammys, was not asked to perform. so he tried to get around that by hosting his own live stream show, but the video crashed, so it never happened. he responded by uploading a new track that he's working on. and sent out these pictures of him showing off the chest and

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♪ in new york city, oscars of the dog world is well under way. tonight, best in show will be awarded at the westminister dog show. >> the contenders undergo pampering that boggles the mind, from blowouts, manicures, even palates. abc's travel editor genevieve brown takes us to one hotel that houses all these hounds. >> reporter: new york city is known for its posh hotels. and one just steps from the action inside madison square garden is very proud to have gone to the dogs. i'm here with gabby who is checking in here to the hotel pennsylvania. the place to be for the

westminister dog show. >> where the action is and always is and always has been is the heart is the hotel pennsylvania. people know that they can congregate here because it's dog friendly, they're well received. >> reporter: the hotel goes all out to prepare for their four-legged guests. every need has been considered. from indoor relief stations to bathing facilities, to doggy treadmills, to a specialist on staff to stretch out your pooch. there's even a dedicated doggy concierge. >> i'm here to greet the four-legged and two-leagued guests with open paws to give them welcome kits, welcome packages, greet them, show them where the services are in the hotel pennsylvania. >> reporter: but these are not your average house dogs. they're bred to be the best and sometimes come with some unusual requests. >> we've had some dogs requesting an opera singer in the lobby to serenade them before the show. the food is always important.

we've gotten chicken sandwich requests. spinach pizza. you name it, we've heard it before. >> reporter: with such a big prize on the line, perhaps it's no surprise these dogs come with superstitions. we talked about people wanting certain rooms. tell me why someone would want room 212 this weekend. >> what's interesting is people have the rituals before the show, because best in show is chosen on the tuesday. because it's february 12 this year, 2-12, people like to choose the room number synonymous with the best in show number date. >> reporter: one thing is for sure, they'll be back next year and hotel pennsylvania will be ready. >> as soon as one show ends, we get ready for the next year, believe it or not. >> reporter: genevieve shaw brown, abc news, new york. >> you know darn well those dogs are not requesting anything. >> never liked doggy style. we'll be back with abc after this. doggy style. we'll be back with abc after this.